


To Think Your Soul Isn’t Already Magical

by fishfingersandjellybabies



Category: Batman (Comics)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-16
Updated: 2019-12-16
Packaged: 2021-02-25 23:08:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,321
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21813436
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fishfingersandjellybabies/pseuds/fishfingersandjellybabies
Summary: Dick’s heard too much lately about Damian selling his soul. He doesn’t like it, not one bit.
Comments: 6
Kudos: 266





	To Think Your Soul Isn’t Already Magical

**Author's Note:**

> Based off of Tom King’s characterization in his Batman run of Damian constantly threatening/actually selling his soul. I feel like that’d upset at least one person in the family. A hopeful future of no more Ric Grayson. Writing hasn’t been a priority lately so sorry it sucks.

He doesn’t know why he thought about it. Or, rather, why _when_ he thought about it _this time_ , the thought remained, lurking in his brain, picking at his heart.

Was it because of what Bruce has said so many times, about those visions he’s had? The future the world tells them is set in stone? Was it because of the constant attitude, or snarkiness? Was it that he so often pushed people away?

Or was it that moment in the desert, a few months prior? That conversation with Superman, where he exposed how smart he was, how slick and clever and downright _conniving_?

Or was it because their lives were hell? Because he adored him more than he could ever describe, or would do far more for him than he’d ever dare admit out loud?

It stuck in his mind this time, this thought. This possibility. And he found himself standing in the gate of the garden, watching his younger brother across the field, because of it.

Tim had said while he was gone, while he was Ric, Damian had brought it up again. Damian had actually done it this time, and Dick didn’t quite know why that hurt so much to think about.

“…Grayson?” Damian called, noticing him in the gateway. Titus, who was frolicking around him, jogged up to his side. Dick blinked and smiled at him, giving him a wave. “What are you doing here?”

“Wanted to see my kid brother.” Dick offered as he moved forward. “Is that a crime?”

“Depends on which brother.” Damian smirked, petting Titus’s head. “How’s Bludhaven?”

“Fine.” Dick hummed. “How’s Gotham?”

“As depressing as ever.” Damian sighed. “But Father actually went to a museum with me last weekend so…not too bad.”

“He gets a gold star.” Dick laughed, ruffling Damian’s hair. Damian laughed too, leaning down to kiss Titus’s head. Dick watched him a moment, felt his smile fading. “…Hey, Dames?”

Damian glanced up at him.

“Can we…talk?”

Damian’s own jovial mood dropped instantly. “Of course.” He nodded. “Something wrong?”

“Not…really.” Dick trailed off, leading Damian back to the short deck attached to the manor with a hand on his back. Damian quirked his eyebrow, but said nothing, calmly sitting in one of the deck chairs. Dick sat in the one next to him and sighed. Clasped his hands together and stared at the fist they made.

“Damian, I…” And he found he didn’t know how to start. “How much do you know about magic?”

Damian shrugged. “Enough for it to be useful.”

“…Enough to sell your soul?”

Damian thought for a moment, then shrugged again.

“You mentioned it to Clark, when we were looking for your parents.” Dick continued. “And I heard you claimed to have actually done it once, to get Klarion’s wand to defeat Gotham Girl.”

“So?”

“So you know what happens when you do that?” Dick pushed. Damian just stared at him. “You’re taken from us.”

“I’m…not seeing your point?” Damian tilted his head apologetically. “Or why you seem so distraught about it.”

“And that probably makes it worse.” Dick snorted bitterly. He stared at his hands again then looked up. “Damian, do you still not understand how much we don’t want that? We don’t want you taken away from us. Not ever.”

Damian remained silent.

“Damian, I love you. We love you. _All_ of us. Yes, even Tim.” Dick added before Damian could make that joke. “And the idea that you would want to sell your soul to…to get to us, protect us, save us is…painful.”

Damian watched him for a moment. Then quietly, thoughtfully, _honestly_ , he asked:

“Why?”

“Because losing you is the _worst_ thing I can imagine.” Dick cried, almost hysterically. “God, Damian, you already died once protecting me. Do you think I could handle it again? And through something like selling your damn soul?”

Once again, Damian said nothing.

“And do you think your dad wants that either? Or Jason? Or Jon? That any of them would _want_ you to sell your soul for them either? Lose you in the process of being saved? Lose you at all?” Dick whined.

Damian looked down, head bowed like he was in trouble. And Dick realized he was all but shouting at the kid.

“I just…Promise me, kiddo. Please.” Dick whispered, reaching out to take Damian’s hand. Damian looked up at him with childish eyes. “Promise me you won’t use dangerous magic for us. That you won’t sell your soul for any reason, or let some wizard or demon or whatever take you from us. No matter what.”

“Not even if it’d save your li-”

“No.” Dick squeezed Damian’s hand, harshly. “Matter. _What_.”

Damian furrowed his brows, seemingly confused.

Dick smiled sadly. “And I know you love us too, Damian, and that you’re a good person. The _best_ person.” He reached his free hand up to hold Damian’s face. To force Damian to look him in the eye as he said, “But we are _not worth you_. Not me. Not Cass. Not Gotham. Not the planet. Not even Bruce. Not ever.”

Damian just stared at him with big, soulful eyes that he was far too young to have. Didn’t offer an opinion, or rebuke. No real emotion. Just stared.

“…Make sense?” Dick asked after a moment.

Now Damian frowned. “No.”

Dick snorted a laugh. “Do it for me anyway?”

Damian pursed his lips. “I’ll…consider it.” He sighed. Dick dropped his hand from his face, but kept his other hand wrapped tightly around Damian’s. “It just means now I have to find a new way to save your sorry asses when I need to.”

“As long as you stay alive and with us in the process, knock yourself out.” Dick grinned. “But can I take you out for ice cream before you fall into your new studies about saving the world?”

Damian smirked. “I suppose I can allow that.”

“Good. Because I probably would have just kidnapped you if you said no.” Dick laughed as he stood, tugging Damian up with the hand he refused to let go.

Damian didn’t try to pull away either.

They walked silently across the yard, Titus trotting behind them. When they reached Dick’s car, and Dick finally let go, Damian just looked up at him.

“It wasn’t…a kind of suicidal mission or anything. And I admit I never thought about what you would all want for me, or that you would… _grieve_ me or anything.” Damian explained softly. “I just always thought my soul, objectively, wasn’t worth much. Not after all I’ve done. So if it was a payment a demon or magician was willing to accept, it was something I’d gladly give. A small price to pay for the world, or you.”

Dick just watched him. And when Damian finished, he just silently wrapped his arms around Damian’s back, holding him as tenderly as he could. Damian just leaned against him.

“Well I’ll be the first to tell you that a world without you is not one worth living in.” Dick whispered, squeezing Damian harder. “And I have a long list of people who agree. Want me to call each and every one of them?”

Damian scoffed. “I think I just want the ice cream I was offered.”

“Done.” Dick laughed. He uncoiled from their embrace and walked Damian to the passenger side of the car. “Ice cream first, then proclamations of unconditional love, you got it.”

“Perhaps we can swap that second option with a stop by a book store instead.” Damian mumbled as Dick opened the car door for him. As he plopped into the seat, Dick caught a glimpse of the embarrassed heat in his cheeks.

“I’ll consider it.” Dick offered. “But don’t hold your breath, kiddo.”

He closed the door to the sound of Damian’s long-suffering sigh, and smiled as he made his way to the driver’s seat.


End file.
